Devin Haney stands at a crossroads: Who will he fight next?
The super lightweight champion is in a difficult situation after losing against Ryan Garcia and must decide which steps to take.
His future looked very bright, but many things have changed. Devin Haney, the former undisputed lightweight king, lived his sweetest moment as a boxer after becoming the WBC super lightweight champion by defeating Regis Prograis. However, his defeat to Ryan Garcia translated into a step back in his career.
The Dream, who kept his WBC belt due to KingRy’s positive for Ostarine, should face his mandatory next, the Spanish fighter Sandor Martin, to defend his title, but the American isn’t happy to take on a dangerous contender in a fight that isn’t attractive to fans. Not to mention that financially it wouldn’t be a great deal, as he would get $1.5 million payday for a title defense instead of a big fortune against fighters like Garcia or Teofimo Lopez.
Martin is willing to take on the American and make history by beating him and has admitted several times he’s ready to step into the ring to prove he can handle Haney’s boxing skills. The Barcelona native lost to Lopez via split decision in 2022, although many believe he won that fight.
Haney would be way more interested in a fight against Teo, as the Brooklyn-bred talent is a bigger name and possesses the WBO light welterweight belt, but how will things play out?
Devin Haney: fighting Sandor Martin or giving up his WBC belt
Promoter Bob Arum won the purse bid to stage Haney’s fight against Martin. The Hall of Famer explained that The Dream doesn’t have many options now, as he should decide between accepting the fight against Martin or giving up his WBC title and choosing another opponent.
“So, give up the title, and Sandor Martin will fight the next guy available. That’s what the rules are for,” Arum said.
“If Haney doesn’t want the fight, good. He’ll do something else. Every fighter has to look out for himself, and if he decides he doesn’t want to fight Sandor Martin, then he’ll fight somebody else”, the promoter added.
“Either Haney does the fight or gives up the title. The choice is his. I’m not going to get angry at anybody for looking out for the best possibility for themselves. That’s up to them, and if he thinks that’s the way to go, who am I to disagree?
Now it’s turn for Haney to decide what to do next. He could fight Martin in a fight where he would be a clear favorite to come out on top or rematch a “clean” Ryan Garcia. Teofimo Lopez would probably be the ideal option for the American, as it would be a fight that would give him a good purse and the possibility of winning another belt.